The more updates about the WNBA’s full-time charter flight program are released, the worse the league looks.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s reported explanation for why only two teams had charter flights to start the 2024 season is nonsensical, and deserves some scrutiny.
With tremendous investment flowing in, and record-breaking viewership numbers to see the WNBA’s best, the league had a chance to do something special by announcing a full-time charter flight program. Instead, the rollout has been predictably flawed.
Per Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, after reports surfaced that only the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx would receive charter flights to open the season, Engelbert held a town hall with players to address questions and concerns. She reportedly revealed that some teams received flights because they had special considerations, like time zones or travel that typically requires multiple flights:
“Flights that are across the country like [the Lynx] going to Seattle, crossing multiple time zones, or flights that usually require a connection, those were the priorities,” Sky center Elizabeth Williams told the Sun-Times. “That’s why New York didn’t go to D.C. with a charter, but Minny goes to Seattle.”
All of this would make sense except that the Atlanta Dream — who traveled multiple time zones and potentially needed a connecting flight to get to their season opener in Los Angeles — were left out of the equation.
The math does not add up to anything except the WNBA underestimating the impact of this patchwork rollout.
Just confirmed with @WNBA spokesperson that as of May 21, all teams will charter to every game. First few days of games, some have chartered & others have flown commercial.
— Lindsay Schnell (@Lindsay_Schnell) May 16, 2024
Imagine if instead of blurting out the news at a conference for sports editors and reporters, Engelbert and its airline partners held a formal press conference with all the bells and whistles, including a tour of the planes teams would be flying in. It could have been planned for exposure and positive press once the details were all ironed out.
Even a social media campaign capitalizing on top players’ excitement and reactions would have been great. Imagine A’ja Wilson walking off a charter flight saying that was “top-tier!” or Cameron Brink saying she was so thankful to have room to stretch out. The tremendous content from the campaign could have been utilized to help support the announcement.
behind the scenes of our first charter flight 👀 pic.twitter.com/ixwYtuNOyK
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 13, 2024
On the internal side, communications could have been deployed to general managers, staff members and players with an estimated timeline that properly sets expectations and includes a frequently asked questions reference sheet in addition to the town hall. Regular touchpoints could have also been planned to update the entire league if anything had changed or if any feedback had been implemented.
Instead, this feels like a jigsaw rollout that reeks of caving to pressure to get this program out the door sooner. It’s so bad that multiple players — including the WNBA’s 2023 MVP, Breanna Stewart — have already shared how they wish everyone could simultaneously participate in the charter flight program.
Frankly, the program shouldn’t have been announced if it wasn’t possible for the whole league. It’s hazardous to the WNBA’s brand to unveil a program at a fraction of capacity because charter flights were already an issue that needed to be resolved sooner. It has to be enacted with precision. There is no other choice.
It’s embarrassing for a league with so much good to offer the world to have this happening while its top-notch athletes finally get the flowers they deserve from the public.
For goodness’ sake, WNBA, pull it together. Your players deserve that.
